Hot Water Beach, Geothermal beach in Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
Hot Water Beach is a stretch of sand roughly 1.5 kilometers long on the Coromandel Peninsula where hot groundwater rises through the surface from underground springs. The water can reach temperatures up to 64 degrees Celsius (147 degrees Fahrenheit) and emerges at specific points between the rocks at the southern end of the shore.
The geothermal springs have provided the Ngāti Hei, the local Māori tribe, with warm water for bathing and other purposes for centuries. European settlers discovered the beach in the 19th century and later turned it into a tourist destination.
The name refers directly to the hot springs beneath the sand that bathers use to create temporary pools. Visitors often bring spades and dig together, creating a social gathering on the shore.
Access to the thermal areas is only possible at low tide, so travelers should check tide tables and come roughly two hours before or after low water. A spade is helpful for digging your own pool, and many bring towels and drinking water.
At high tide the entire thermal zone disappears under seawater, so the beach looks like an ordinary coastal stretch. Just a few hours later, when the sea retreats, steaming spots appear in the wet sand.
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